Burana Tower

Its construction dates back to the X-XI centuries. It is composed of burnt bricks and juniper beams. On an octagonal stone basement there is a round round section, a trunk tapering upward, covered by belts of ornamental masonry. On the south side, at a height of 5 m, there is a doorway from which a spiral staircase starts leading to the observation deck. The height of the tower is 21 m, its diameter is 9 m. Its former height was supposedly 44-48 m. However, then its upper part after the earthquake fell. Today, the height is 21, 7 meters.

Near the tower is a "rock garden" which contains the so-called " balbals " (VI-X centuries) - ancient tombstones, ancient millstones, and stones with rock paintings (1 thousand years BC).

Burana was probably the vertical dominant of the ancient city of Balasagun , the northern capital of the Turkic-speaking state of the Karakhanids. In 1218, Balasagun was captured and destroyed by the Tatar-Mongols and ceased to exist in the XIV century ^[1] .

The Buraninsky settlement , and with it the minaret, have been the objects of research by Russian scientists and local historians since the mid-19th century ^[2] . A significant contribution to their study was made by local historians F. V. Poyarkov, V. D. Gorodetsky, A. M. Fetisov, N. N. Pantusov , V. P. Rovnyagin and the outstanding Russian orientalist V. V. Bartold . Despite the importance of archaeological research on the territory of Kyrgyzstan in the pre-revolutionary period, they were casual, amateurish in nature. No measures were taken to protect the monuments.

Already in the first years of Soviet power , a number of measures were taken to preserve the Buran tower and archaeological study of the settlement. In 1927-1928, by decision of the government of the Kyrgyz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic , the minaret was repaired and preserved , which prevented its further destruction. In 1927, M.E. Masson and in 1929, A.I. Terenozhkin, carried out archaeological work in the ancient settlement, which consisted of excavations, collecting materials, shooting plans, etc.

The archaeologist M.E. Masson, on the basis of the materials obtained, established that the Burana tower was built in the first half of the 11th century. This date was then accepted by most researchers. In the 1930s, the Committee of Sciences of the Kyrgyz SSR and the general public paid considerable attention to the Buraninsky fortification. In the periodical press there are publications about this monument. The Burana Tower is visited by numerous excursions; it is under the constant control of local authorities.

In 1938, the Buraninsky ancient settlement and minaret was studied by the Semirechensky archaeological expedition. The results of these studies are reflected in many works of the expedition leader A.N. Bernshtam . However, the greatest amount of work on the site of Buran was completed by P.N. Kozhemyako in 1953-1954. As a result of his research, for the first time it was possible to establish that the ancient settlement has a complex layout and consists of central ruins, represented by a quadrangular fortress, on a vast area outside it.

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  Buran tower on the background of the Kyrgyz ridge

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  Balbals of the "rock garden" of Buranovsky settlement

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• Archaeological and architectural complex "Burana Tower" (Neopr.) . National Commission of the Kyrgyz Republic for UNESCO .